It should be understood, that what represents enormous danger for users means huge profits for the drug business. Fighting precursor diversion is therefore an absolute necessity.

European Customs Legislation in relation to Drugs.

Different types of administrations are involved in drug precursor control. They are Health, Police and Customs.

Drugs, ecstasy in particular, is a major source of concern for the European Union. About 3 million people have used it recently, according to the report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction. Ecstasy poses a problem not only on grounds of its danger to health. The EU used to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers and exporters of drugs. Today this is still the case, but the EU has also become an importer of precursors, especially those that are generally not produced locally and must be brought into the EU. This situation requires special attention from the EU Customs. Therefore a new set of regulations had been adopted which came into force in 2005. These regulations aim at:

1) monitoring of trade in drug precursors between the EU and countries outside the Union.

2) monitoring of trade within the EU

3) establishing necessary procedures regarding licensing and rules concerning the monitoring of trade.

Cooperation between the EU and other countries plays a very significant role in preventing relevant

chemicals from being used in the illicit manufacture of ecstasy and other dangerous drugs.

Topics, I course II term

1. EU Customs role in the fight against terrorism

2. International Customs cooperation

3. Advanced Customs control

4. The war on drugs

5. European Customs legislation in relation to Drugs

6. Customs Enforcement duties

7. Information Technology in Customs work

8. The Eurasian Economic community

9. The Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan